The project focused on delivering a design that an owner can take straight out of the yard, and that is ready for upcoming market trends and incoming regulations, with an optimal size, hull form, and machinery and electrical systems.

Johan Petter Tutturen, DNV GL – Maritime Business Director Gas Carriers, said: “When we look at today’s LNG market we predict that in the years to come we will see the rise of post-Panamax LNG carrier designs which are dimensioned to fit of the new Panama Canal. Capacities of over 175 000 m3 are feasible given the new restrictions.”

In a statement, DNV GL claims that an important consideration for the design is the shift towards lower and more energy-efficient transit speeds. The hull and propulsion system have been optimised for three different operating profiles on a standard transpacific route (19.5 knots, 16 knots and 12 knots). Calm water optimisation resulted in 6%, 2% and 5% gains over the reference design at each of the three operating profiles. The optimisation calculations were performed through the use of DNV GL hydrodynamic analysis software Wasim, as well as statistics and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations for determining wave resistance.

The design features direct-coupled, two-stroke dual-fuel main engines and dual-fuel auxiliary engines with LNG as the primary fuel. A combined gas turbine, electric and steam (COGES) propulsion system was selected for the optimised machinery.

A ‘high manganese steel cargo tank independent Type B’ was chosen for the portion of the boil-off gas used as LNG fuel. It underwent closed mock-up testing using liquid nitrogen (LN2). This was chosen due to its excellent tensile properties, as well as its high performance and product capacity at low cost, and allows flexible tank shapes while being slosh-free without imposing any filling limitations.

DNV GL claims that the design also utilises DSME’s SloT® (Ship Internet of Things) technology, as well as its wireless computer network and integration system, Smartship 4.0. In addition to this, testing was carried out on the entire on board computer environment in order to improve its cyber security.